Wheel durometer???

drifter136 · Posted: Aug 15, 2003 6:13 am Post subject: Wheel durometer???

Right now I have 99A wheels...I've thought about trying something more like 95A-97A. Would there be a big difference? Will it make much difference in noise. I don't really do a whole lot of tech stuff. I can do Shuv-its and working on kickflips. Would a softer wheel hinder anything? The main reason I want to try a softer wheel is to ride quieter (I live in a small community so I don't want to bug people, if I lived in a city I wouldn't care) and to help smoothen out some of the rougher surfaces.

Jester · Posted: Aug 15, 2003 7:25 am Post subject:

99 to 97 will hardly make a difference. You probably won't really notice a difference until you hit 95 or softer. I've ridden 95's & they're MUCH quieter than 100's. They roll a little faster 'cuz they absorb impact better than harder wheels & they definitely don't squeal as much when you powerslide 'em (although I like making lotsa noise).

The one thing about soft wheels that you should know is that you need to land tricks super clean 'cuz they grip really well. So if you bust a sloppy 180 the wheels won't slide around the rest of the way for you, they'll grip & you'll get thrown. But you wanna be landing tricks super clean anyways so maybe it's not such a bad thing.

criminally_minded · Posted: Aug 18, 2003 2:02 pm Post subject:

You'll find slightly softer wheels will increase speed, reduce shock over rough terain and decrease noise just like Jester said, he is also right about going to 95's, if you're going to make the change, make it worthwhile.

They are a godsend in the wet too. Compared to 97-100, they grip a lot better. This also depends on how wide your wheels are.